Oil burner system



Jan. 4, 1966 G. F. DIBERT OIL BURNER SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Dec. 27. 1960 Y .W. F Hin m QN ll Illnlllll r IN VEN TOR. 650205 E 0/5527 BY 7 f Arman/5V.

Jan. 4, 1966 G. F. DIBERT OIL BURNER SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Dec. 27, 1960 INVENTOR. 6502a: 0/5527 BY H, |r| n.:.. 7- m 1 ,4 fi$ A rrazMe X a. George F. Dibert, SSE. Portland, )reg.u

1'6 Gla'iihs- 1 15841355 Coiitiniiatip i ap 1964fii'hich is a on in a '27, 1960. This application feitdFebruary 17, 1964. 1

'Ihis inve ntion relates 'toan oil burning device, and it particularly relates to a system for converting 'a conventional standard light oilbur'ner tousing and burning a heavy oil.

It is known that heavy oil borders are more elli'cient randmore ecohomicalthztn light oil burners. However, heavy oil burners require pie-heating and proper spraying of the oil and therefore are generally quite bulky and heavy. For this reason, there has heretofore never been a heavy oil burner suitable and adaptable-for home use.

It is one object of thel'present invention to overcome the above difficulties by :providing a system for converting light oil burnersto usih'g ahd bur'nin g hea'vyoil, such system being relatively simple and practical forjhome use. Another ob'jectofth'e presentinvhtion is toipfovide a s'ystmfor convertinga conventional standard light oil burneito'usiiig and burning'heavy oil which is relatively easy to install and which is 'utilizable with=various grades of heavy oil which may be No. 5 or lightei.

'Another'object of thepresentihvention is'to provide a system "of the aforesaid typewhich will he completely efiective on two quarts or more ipei hour, thereby being suitable for Home use. Other objects of thei preseiitinvention are toprovide an improved system, ofthe character descrihed, that is easily -and;economically :produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is hi'g'hlyeflicientin operation. With me abovearid related objects in view, this invention consists in "the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sideTelevational view of a'system embodying the present invention, the system being shown in operative position.

FIG. 3 is a view, partly in section and partly in ele- I the pump and spray head.

' "Referringin greater detail to the drawings wherein similar reference characters r'e fer to similar parts, there is shown an oil burner system, generally designated 10 ill FIG-Q1, which bhlpiis es bold I011 :feed coriduit 12 leading from a tank (not shown) for holding cold oil. The conduit 12, as is clear from FIGS. 1an'd' 2, isa vertical feed conduit extending from, a high tank (not I shown) to a cap 1 4 'which is almost at ground level. Just above the cap 14, the conduit 12 is provided with ah elbow pipe 16 'exte'ndingup'ward into a conversion or ,pre-heating tank 18.

The tank 18 (as best shown in 4) comprises inner and outer cylindrical walls 20 and 22 respectively and end 3,227,204 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 walls 24 and .26 for the respective inner and outer cylind'rical walls 20 and 22. Between the inner walls 20, 24 and the outer walls 22, 26, there is provided electrically non-conductivemater'ial '28. Embedded within the material 28 is an electrical resistance coil '30 which encompasses the inner cylindrical wall 20 and acts as a heating element for the reservoiror chamber 32 defined by the walls 20, 24. The elbowpipe 16 extends through the outer Wall 22 and material 28 and mates with an opening 34 in the bottom portion of Wall 20' adjacent one end wall 24. At the opposite end of the tank 18, an outlet conduit or pipe 36 leads from an opening 38 in the top portion of wall 20 through material 28 and outer wal1'22.

Th'e conduit 36 leads upward to an elbow 37 which is integral with a horizontal conduit 46. The conduit 40 leads to an oil reservoir 41 forming, part of a conven- 'tional oil pump 42, and this oil reservoir is connected by a short conduit 44 to avertical conduit 46, and thus oil flows freely from pipe 40 through reservoir 41 to a vertical conduit 46 without being subjected to the action of the purnp42. The pump "42 takes oil from the reservoir 41 and pumps it through the conduit 72, without interfering with the free flow of oil from reservoir 41 to upright conduit 46, irrespective of whether the pump is or isnot operating. Inasmuch as cold heavy oil practically always has air entrapped in it, and such entrapped air tends to separate when the heavy oil is heated, as it is in the tank 18 on it way to the reservoir 41 and the pump 42, and would thus accumulate in the high point, as inreservoir 41, ahigh point air accumulator by-passline48-also connects pipe 40 to the vertical'conduit 46, this, accumulating the entrapped air, which may be bled therefrom from time to time by opening the pet-cock106, to prevent air lock. Presence of air in the by-pass air accumulator 48 can readily be detected by feeling it manually, for when airhas accumulated, it is colder than the pipe '40.

H The conduit 46 is integral at its lower end with an elbow 50 also integral with a horizontal conduit 52 having a vertical end 54 leading into one end of an elongated cylindrical heat=exchange chamber situated within a housing 58, the conduit 52 extendinginto said housing 58 through an aperture therein (as best shown FIG. 3). The housing 58 is provided with acylindrical burner tube-extension 60 terminating in a nozzle 62,; and the forward portion of the chamber 56 extends within this burner tube extension 60,

I A conduit 64 leads from the forward end of the chamber 56 within the burner tube 60 and then out from the housing 58 as at 66. This conduit, 64 and 66, leads to and through a conventional pump 68, which may be similar to conventional pump 42 includiiig the by-pass version and which is, in turn, connected by conduit 70 to the elbow pipe-16 below the tank 18. I A a A horizontal conduit 72 connects the vertical conduit ,36,at its intermediate portion, to 'the pump 42. Inter- ,posed in this conduit 72 is a conventional pressure reducing valve 74 from which downwardly extends a ver tical conduit 76 integral with a horizontal conduit 78 and forming an auxiliary fluid circuit for a portion of th'e oil from condui't 72 but at a reduced pressure. The conduit 78 extends intothe housing 58 and into the rearward end of chamber 56 through which it extends to project from the forward end within the nozzle 62. The forward erid of the conduit 78, within the nozzle 62, is provided with a spray head 80. The conventional pressure reducing valve 74 is present, should thepump 42 beihg'used provide a pressure in excess of that desired at the spray head 80, to reduce the pressure to the desired pressure, and may be omitted, if the pressure provided by pump 42 is not excessive for the spray head 80. When the ressure reducing valve is present, it may be heces'sary to provide a by-pass for some of the oil pressure to prevent ba'ck pressure on the pump 42, and the by-pass 72 serves the purpose of by-passing some of the oil pressure back to the conduit or pipe 36.

The internal details of the conventional pressure relief by-pass valve 74 may be as shown in FIG. 5, where the valve 74 receives oil under pumping pressure from the pump 42. The valve 74 is adjusted to open under a predetermined pressure and fuel oil is forced to a nozzle 'supply pipe 76 to atomize the oil under this predetermined constant pressure. In the type of regulation valve shown, a valve piece 115 is forced by the oil pressure against an adjustable spring 116, which spring is urging the valve against a port 17 leading to pipe 76 and normally closing ofi this passage to the nozzle. As the pump customarily has excess capacity, part of the oil is by-passed by the valve back around the pump through pipe 72 either to its supply tank or to the inlet side of the pump. In the valve 74, the excess oil is bypassed through passage 120 which comes, when the oil pump is exerting more than the required pressure, into registration with passage 121, thereby establishing connection with pipe 72. The showing in the example is conventional structure.

A control thermostat 84 having a switch means 86 is provided on the tank 18. A cable 88 having electrical wires 90 leading to a source of electrical energy (not shown) is connected to the switch means 86. Also connected to switch means 86 are conductor wires 92 positioned between the walls of the tank 18 and connected to the coil 30. When the temperature in tank 18 falls below a predetermined level, the switch 86 closes to connect the coil to the source of electrical current whereby the coil 30 generates enough heat to warm the tank 18 and its contents. When the temperature reaches a predetermined maximum, the switch 86 opens the circuit.

Within the burner tube 60 (as best seen in FIG. 3) is provided a bulb type thermostat 94 connected by a capillary tube 96 to a burner control switch 98 (of a standard type). The thermostat 94 causes the circuit to the burner and pump motor 104 (described below) to automatically open when the temperature of oil at the front end of chamber 56 falls below a predetermined minimum to prevent operation of the burner and the pump 42 when the temperature of the oil at the spray head end of conduit 78 is too low for instant ignition.

The housing 58 is mounted on a base 100 and the housing 58 itself supports the conventional pressure type light fan housing 102 and motor 104, these parts 58, 102 and 104 all forming a conventional light oil burner unit, with the motor 104 serving to operate the pump 42 and the fan in fan housing 102 to provide air to the burner tube extension 60.

In operation, the oil passes down from the supply tank (not shown) through conduits 12 and 16 into tank 18. Here the oil is heated to the desired temperature at which it will ignite readily and flows through the reservoir 41 and conduits 44, 46, 50, 52 and 54 and through the chamber 56 in the burner tube 60 back to the tank 18. All this flow is accomplished by convection or thermo siphon since the oil is seeking its own temperature in relation to the supply tank (not shown). There is approximately five quarts of oil that is being heated and circulated in this manner during the entire period that the burner is not in operation. When the temperature of the oil at the spray head 80 is such that the oil is readily ignited, the thermostat 94 permits the burner control switch 98 to operate the pump 42 to supply oil therethrough.

When the tank 18 is as high or higher than the chamber 56, then the pump 68 must be used to circulate the oil. Otherwise, when the tank 18 is lower, as illustrated, the pump 68, if present, may be manually switched on and used to aid convection caused by the force of gravity, when desired. The pump 68, if present, may be similar to pump 42 and reservoir 41, permitting circulation to continue when the pump is not running. If desired, it may be in the same electrical circuit with pump 42 so that it will operate only when pump 42 operates, and be likewise controlled by thermostat 94 and switch 98.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an oil burning system having a burner tube provided at its front end with a nozzle and communicating at its rear end with means for supplying air under pressure to the nozzle, and an oil pump having an inlet adapted for connection to a source of fuel oil and an oulet connected to an oil feed tube extending into the burner tube and terminating at its front end in an oil spray head positioned adajacent the nozzle, the combination therewith of (a) an oil pre-heating chamber;

(b) a feed conduit for connecting the pro-heating chamber to a source of heavy oil;

(0) heater means for the pre-heating chamber for maintaining oil therein at a pre-determined elevated temperature;

(d) conduit means communicating at its opposite ends with the pre-heating chamber and forming therewith a continuous circuit for the cycling of oil therethrough;

(e) an intermediate portion of the conduit means being arranged adjacent the spray head for conducting heat to the latter from the heated oil adjacent thereto;

(f) the conduit means also communicating with the pump inlet; and

(g') oil feed control thermostat means positioned in heat conductive relationship with oil in the conduit means outside the pro-heating chamber and which oil has reached said intermediate portion of the conduit means for conducting heat to the spray head, the control thermostat means being operable when oil in the conduit means adjacent the spray head reaches a predetermined readily ignitable temperature to effectuate the pressure feeding of oil through the spray head for ignition, and operable when oil in the conduit means adjacent the spray head is below said predetermined temperature to prevent the pressure feeding of oil through the spray head.

. 2. An oil burning system comprising:

(a) a burner tube provided at its front end with a nozzle and communicating at its rear end with means for supplying air under pressure to the nozzle;

(b) an oil pump having an inlet and an outlet;

(c) an oil feed tube connected to the pump outlet and extending into the burner tube and terminating at its front end in an oil spray head positioned adjacent the nozzle;

(d) an oil pre-heating chamber;

(e) a feed conduit for connecting the pre-heat'ing chamber to a source of heavy oil;

(f) heater means for the pre-heating chamber for maintaining oil therein at a pre-determined elevated temperature;

(g) conduit means communicating at its opposite ends with the pre-heatin-g chamber and forming therewith a continuous circuit for the cycling of oil therethrough;

(h) an intermediate portion of the conduit means being arranged adjacent the spray head for conducting heat to the latter from the heated oil adjacent thereto;

(i) the conduit means also communicating with the pump inlet; and

yoirieea controltherm tat heat conductiverelationship wi means outsi de the i j I. I oil has reached 'sard rate portion o f'the conduit means forconi it ting hea to th'e I ayli d, the control thermos t oil in the mi dle reaches a predeteiirrii spray head for ignition, an'd oper le v I I the] conduitmeans adjacent the spray'head i below said predeterminedlternpcrature oQpre ntthe pres-1 sure feedi'rigof oil thr'oiigh the sp i In combination with having a burn'e'r tube prone 'd at its frontjend with a nozzle and communicating at iltsrear end an ele ctri c motor-driven blower for i i i M to, the

ntional .iign i n s t t. motor an'd'having an'inlet'adapted I source'of fuel oil andanoutlet'coii I cted than oil feed tube extending into the burner tube a terminating at its front end in an birspra' headpositioned adjacent (e) an intermediatep'o'rtio" 'o f the conduit m e'ansbeing arranged adjacent th sp'rayhead for cohductin'g h'ea't to the latte r from the heated oil adjacent the retog I '(f) means connecting the inlet to the conduit means for diverting oil in the conduit means to the spray head through the pump outlet, and (g) oil feed control thermostat means positioned in heat conductive relationship with oil in the conduit means outside the pro-heating chamber and which oil has reached said intermediate portion of the conduit means for conducting heat to the spray head, the control thermostat means being operable when oil in the conduit means adjacent the spray head reaches a predetermined readily ignitable temperature to eflectuate the pressure feeding of oil through the spray head for ignition, and operable when oil in the conduit means adjacent the spray head is below said predetermined temperature to prevent the pressure feeding of oil through the spray head. 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the control thermostat means includes temperature controlled switch means in the electric circuit of the motor and operable when oil in the conduit means adjacent the spray head I reaches a pre-determined readily ignitable temperature to activate the electric motor to effectuate the pressure feeding of oil through the spray head for ignition.

5. An oil burning system for burning heavy oil, comprising (a) a conventional light oil burner including a burner tube having a nozzle at its front end and communicating at its rear end with blower means for supplying air under pressure to the nozzle, an oil pump having an inlet adapted for connection to a source of fuel oil and an outlet connected toan oil feed tube extending with the burner tube and terminating at its front end in an oil spray head positioned adjacent the nozzle, and an electric motor connected to the blower means and oil pump and having an electric circuit; (b) an oil preheating chamber;

. 6 t I "(c);1a feed cofidiiit for connecting the 'jpre heating chamber to a s'ource of heavy oil; I I I t (d) heatermeans for tlie pie-heating: chamber for 'rnairitaining'oil therein at a pre-determined elevated t'e'rn' ratiire; I I I I I (e condnit'rneans communicating atitsopposite ends -w1tli th'e'pre h'eating; chamber and forming therewith r a continuous circuit for the cycling "of .oil there- ,t j q hi v j p "(fl anin'te'rmediate portion of the conduit means being arranged adjacent the spray head for conducting heat to the lattehfrom the heated oil adjacent thereto; I I II I I (g) means connecting thepi mp inlet to the conduit mean-r 1 spray head through the pump outlet; and I (h) oil feed co ntrol thermostat means positioned in heat conductive relationship with oil in the conduit means outside 'the p xie-heating jchar'nberand which oil has reached said intermediate portion 'of the conduit means for conducting heat t'othe spray head, the control thermostat means being operable when on inth conduit means adjacent the spray head reaches a predeterminedtreadily ignitable temperature to elfectuat'e the ressiirefee'ding of oil through the spray head forignitiom operable when oil I the conduit means adjacent the spray head is below said pre-d'eterihmed temperature to prevent'thepressure of oil through the spray head. I

The system of claim5 wherein the con troltliermostat means includes temperatur co ii trdlled switch means in the electric circuit of the motor and operable when oil inthe fcoiidhit-r'nean's adjacen thespray head reaches a predetermined readily'ignitable temperature to activate the eleict'tjc motor to effectuate the pressure feeding of oil thr'ou'gh the spray head for ignition.

'7; In combination with a conventional light oil burner having :burner tube {provided at its front end with a nozzle and communicating at its rear endwith an electric motor-driven blower for supplying air under pressure to the nozzle, and an oil pump driven by said electric motor and having an inlet adapted for connection to a source of fuel oil and an outlet connected to an oil feed tube extending into the burner tube and terminating at its front end in an oil spray head positioned adjacent the nozzle; means accommodating said oil burner to the burning of heavy oil, comprising (a) a heat exchange chamber surrounding the oil feed tube in the burner tube and terminating adjacent the nozzle;

(b)l an oil pre-heating chamber;

(c) a feed conduit for connecting the pre-heating chamber to a source of heavy oil;

((1) heater means for the pre-heating chamber for maintaining oil therein at a pre-determined elevated temperature;

(e) conduit means inter-connecting the pre-heating chamber and heat exchange chamber and forming therewith a continuous circuit for the cycling of oil therethrough;

(f) 'means connecting the pump inlet to the continuous circuit for diverting oil in the continuous circuit to the spray head through said pump, and

(g) temperature controlled switch means in the electric circuit of said motor and including thermostat means positioned adjacent the spray head in heat conductive relation with circulating oil in the heat exchange chamber adjacent the nozzle for activating the blower and pump means when oil in the heat exchange chamber adjacent the nozzle reaches a pre-determined readily ignitable temperature.

8. An oil burning system for burning heavy oil, comprising (a) a conventional light oil burner including a burner tube having a nozzle at its front end and communianc ng emanate c'on'duit m ant mule eating at its rear end with blower means for supplying air under pressure to the nozzle, an electric motor connected to the blower means and having an electric circuit, oil pump means connected to the electric motor for Operation thereby and having an inlet and an outlet; and an oil feed tube in the burner tube connected to the pump outlet and having an oil spray head adjacent the nozzle;

(b) a heat exchange chamber surrounding the oil feed tube in the burner tube and terminating adjacent the nozzle;

(c) an oil pre-heating chamber;

(d) a supply conduit for connecting the pre-heating chamber to a source of heavy oil;

(e) heater means for the pre-heating chamber for maintaining oil therein at a predetermined elevated temperature;

(f) conduit means interconnecting the pre-heating chamber and heat exchange chamber and forming therewith a continuous circuit for the cycling of oil therethrough;

g) means communicating the pump inlet with the continuous circuit for diverting the circulating oil to the spray head; and

(h) temperature-controlled switch means in the electric circuit of the motor and including thermostat means positioned adjacent the spray head in heat conductive relation with circulating oil in the heat exchange chamber adjacent the nozzle for activating the blower and pump means when oil in the heat exchange chamber adjacent the nozzle reaches a predetermined readily ingnitable temperature.

9. An oil burning system including a conventional light oil burner comprising a fluid oil pre-heating tank, a feed conduit connected to said pre-heating tank for feeding heavy oil thereto, thermostatically controlled heating means operatively connected to said pre-heating tank to maintain the heavy oil in said pre-heating tank at a set minimum temperature, a burner tube having a nozzle at one end, a heat exchange oil chamber in said burner tube extending to closely adjacent said nozzle end, an oil fluid circuit between said pre-heating tank and said heat exchange oil chamber, said fluid circuit including a return conduit from said heat exchange oil chamber to said pre-heating tank, an operating pump including an oil by-pass reservoir on its inlet side in said fluid circuit to permit convection circulation irrespective of whether said pump is in operation, an oil spray head in said burner tube adjacent said nozzle and adjacent said heat exchange oil chamber, and a spray head oil feed conduit extending from said pump outlet to said spray head through and surrounded by the oil in said heat exchange oil chamber, said spray head oil feed conduit thus being connected in said fluid circuit from said oil pre-heating tank through said pump, a thermostatically operated control means, and a thermostat for said control means, said thermostat being located on said heat exchange oil chamber in said burner tube and closely adjacent the spray head end of said burner tube and of said spray head feed conduit, said control means being operatively connected to said pump to prevent operation of said oil burner unless the oil in said spray head feed conduit at the spray end is at least at a predetermined readily ignitable temperature.

10. The system of claim 9 including a vapor accumulator connected to the top most area of said fluid circuit, and a bleed valve releasably communicating said vapor accumulator with the atmosphere.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,766,133 6/1930 Lanser 158-36 1,862,690 6/1932 Macrae et al 15836 X 2,223,435 12/1940 Williams 15836 FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN OIL BURNING SYSTEM HAVING A BURNER TUBE PROVIDED AT ITS FRONT END WITH A NOZZLE AND COMMUNICATING AT ITS REAR END WITH MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR UNDER PRESSURE TO THE NOZZLE, AND AN OIL PUMP HAVING AN INLET ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO A SOURCE OF FUEL OIL AND AN OUTLET CONNECTED TO AN OIL FEED TUBE EXTENDING INTO THE BURNER TUBE AND TERMINATING AT ITS FRONT END IN AN OIL SPRAY HEAD POSITIONED ADJACENT THE NOZZLE, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF (A) AN OIL PRE-HEATING CHAMBER; (B) A FEED CONDUIT FOR CONNECTING THE PRE-HEATING CHAMBER TO A SOURCE OF HEAVY OIL; (C) HEATER MEANS FOR THE PRE-HEATING CHAMBER FOR MAINTAINING OIL THEREIN AT A PRE-DETERMINED ELEVATED TEMPERATURE; (D) CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS WIHT THE PRE-HEATING CHAMBER AND FORMING THEREWITH A CONTINUOUS CIRCUIT FOR THE CYCLING OF OIL THERETHROUGH; (E) AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE CONDUIT MEANS BEING ARRANGED ADJACENT THE SPRAY HEAD FOR CONDUCTING HEAT TO THE LATTER FROM THE HEATED OIL ADJACENT THERETO; (F) THE CONDUIT MEANS ALSO COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUMP INLET; AND (G) OIL FEED CONTROL THERMOSTAT MEANS POSITIONED IN HEAT CONDUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH OIL IN THE CONDUIT MEANS OUTSIDE THE PRE-HEATING CHAMBER AND WHICH OIL HAS REACHED SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING HEAT TO THE SPRAY HEAD, THE CONTROL THERMOSTAT MEANS BEING OPERABLE WHEN OIL IN THE CONDUIT MEANS ADJACENT THE SPRAY HEAD REACHES A PREDETERMINED READILY IGNITABLE TEMPERATURE TO EFFECTUATE THE PRESSURE FEEDING OF OIL THROUGH THE SPRAY HEAD FOR IGNITION, AND OPERABLY WHEN OIL IN THE CONDUIT MEANS ADJACENT THE SPRAY HEAD IS BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE TO PREVENT THE PRESSURE FEEDING OIL THROUGH THE SPRAY HEAD. 